Jesse Jackson Jr., has been absent from Capitol Hill since mid-June. On Friday, a statement from his office released by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota said the lawmaker had been admitted to the healthcare center for “extensive inpatient evaluation for depression and gastrointestinal issues," The Hill reported.

Rumors about Jackson's health ran rampant for several weeks. According to Politico, he was last seen on Capitol Hill on June 10 – though it wasn't until June 26 that his office announced he had taken a medical leave of absence for "exhaustion."

Reports followed that Jackson, 47, was battling alcohol addiction and had attempted suicide, but his family swiftly denied them.

The Jackson family had remained largely silent thereafter until the elder Jackson's comments Saturday.